VMware Workstation Pro

About this release

VMware Workstation Pro runs whole operating systems inside your own, each one boxed into a virtual machine that behaves like a separate computer with its own disk, memory and network. It is how you run another system without dual booting, test something risky without touching your real machine, or keep a set of clean environments around for development and support work. The guest is isolated, so whatever happens inside it stays inside it.

Snapshots are the feature that changes how you work. You capture the exact state of a machine, do something destructive, and roll straight back to the snapshot if it goes wrong, which turns a machine into a place you can experiment freely. Linked and full clones spin up copies of a configured system in seconds, and the virtual network editor lets you build isolated networks between several machines to model a real setup on one physical box.

It handles the demanding parts of virtualisation that lighter tools skip. Multiple processors and plenty of memory can be assigned to a guest, 3D acceleration passes enough graphics capability through for many applications, and USB devices, shared folders and drag and drop bridge the guest and host. It runs the common desktop and server operating systems as guests, which is why it is a fixture on the machines of developers, testers and support staff.

What it does

• Run full guest operating systems in isolated virtual machines
• Snapshots for capturing and rolling back to an exact machine state
• Linked and full cloning for spinning up copies quickly
• Virtual network editor for building isolated networks between machines
• Assign multiple processors and large memory to a guest
• 3D acceleration passed through for graphics capable applications
• USB passthrough, shared folders and drag and drop between guest and host
• Run several virtual machines at once on capable hardware
• Broad guest support across common desktop and server systems
• Encrypted virtual machines for protecting a sensitive guest

Changes in this version

• Improved performance on recent processors
• Better 3D acceleration compatibility for more guest applications
• Faster snapshot operations on large virtual disks
• Updated guest support for current operating system releases
• Refreshed virtual machine settings interface

What the package contains

• VMware Workstation Pro full offline installer
• Virtual network editor
• Guest tools packages for the common guest systems
• Snapshot and cloning features unlocked
• Readme with the install order written out step by step

Installation notes

Follow these in order. Most reports of a failed install come from skipping a step rather than from the package itself.

1. Confirm virtualisation is enabled in your firmware first, it will not run without it.
2. Disconnect from the network and pause real time protection.
3. Run the installer as administrator and finish the wizard.
4. Apply the included activation step before you launch.
5. Reboot if it asks, then open the application and reconnect.
6. Create a test machine to confirm virtualisation is working.

System requirements

Things worth knowing

• Hardware virtualisation has to be enabled in firmware, this is the single most common reason a first run fails.
• A guest wants real memory of its own, do not assign so much that the host is starved.
• Virtual disks grow large, keep them on a drive with plenty of room, ideally a fast one.

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Listing information

This entry is catalogued under Utilities & Tools and carries the tags below. Language coverage is English interface, and the supported platform list is Windows 10, Windows 11. Version 17.6.2 is the current catalogued build, last checked 4 days ago, and the entry has been in the index since it was added 2 years ago.